I do appreciate the devs trying that, but ultimately it's up to the community. And the average assault player with an smg is on a whole other level. And as a rifleman I always just feel like an NPC in their game as they sprint around spraying their gun like they're playing COD in RO2.

You should probably play the rifleman role more and differently. I can easily be a top player on the scoreboard as a rifleman.

However, you also need to understand that this game isn't about the individual. It doesn't matter if a role isn't balanced to play against the other roles. What matters is the big picture. How is the balance between teams? Other FPS games tend to focus on the individual player balance, while this game doesn't.

As a rifleman, you should stay at a distance and give cover fire for classes that is suited for pushing up, like the Assault class, Elites etc. When they've done their job, the riflemen can move in to be extra bodies.

As a rifleman, you should stay at a distance and give cover fire for classes that is suited for pushing up,

WRONG WRONG WRONG. Noob strategy that'll get you flanked, killed, sniped, suppressed, and will concede and fail to capture CPs again and again.

As a Rifleman you should be constantly moving foreward from cover to cover to close distance, taking shots of opportunity as they crop up, and then bayonet charging down campers when it comes time to storm the enemy front lines.

As a rifleman, you should stay at a distance and give cover fire for classes that is suited for pushing up,

WRONG WRONG WRONG. Noob strategy that'll get you flanked, killed, sniped, suppressed, and will concede and fail to capture CPs again and again.

As a Rifleman you should be constantly moving foreward from cover to cover to close distance, taking shots of opportunity as they crop up, and then bayonet charging down campers when it comes time to storm the enemy front lines.

Dafuq? Front line? Maybe at the beginning of an attack on Commisar's House, etc but if rush forward with riflemen like that in general, you should get a thanks from your opponent for feeding their meat grinder.

Riflemen are front-line troops. Their role is to push forward, capture control points; and get between the enemy and the control point so they can't defend or retake it.

Bayonets and Bolt-Actions are perfectly adequate at taking the enemy out at close range; one good shot from the bolt-action will take out an SMGer before they land lethal hits.

WRONG WRONG WRONG. Noob strategy that'll get you flanked, killed, sniped, suppressed, and will concede and fail to capture CPs again and again.

As a Rifleman you should be constantly moving foreward from cover to cover to close distance, taking shots of opportunity as they crop up, and then bayonet charging down campers when it comes time to storm the enemy front lines.

Dafuq? Front line? Maybe at the beginning of an attack on Commisar's House, etc but if rush forward with riflemen like that in general, you should get a thanks from your opponent for feeding their meat grinder.

Riflemen are NOT frontline troops, like bitties said. FRONTLINE troops are ASSAULTs and Elite Assaults, and Elite riflemen with their semi auto rifles. Then comes squad leaders, machine guns, and lastly, riflemen and snipers.Every close quarters encounter i've ever had with a rifleman ends up with me shooting him with 20 bullets before he can ADS to one-shot me. Even then, riflemen are not good for shooting on the move, they have to be stationary, making them susceptible to grenades that I will cook specifically to bounce off a wall where they're waiting.Riflemen do not belong on the frontlines unless it is a skilled operator that can pull his own weight. They are meant for mid-long range combat.

Dafuq? Front line? Maybe at the beginning of an attack on Commisar's House, etc but if rush forward with riflemen like that in general, you should get a thanks from your opponent for feeding their meat grinder.

It's only going to be a meat-grinder if your team isn't doing their job; IE Riflemen camping so far back that they're ineffective and thus leave the people who ARE contributing to a win in the lurch.

You might think it's pro to lose matches to lock-downs or the timer being run down; the rest of us know better.

Assaults and Elite Assaults aren't going to do sweet FA against the entirety of the enemy team; the opposition have just as many Assaults and Elite Assaults as you do, and they've got the advantage if they're defending.

Assaults aren't an excuse for cowards like you to camp back.

Every close quarters encounter i've ever had with a rifleman ends up with me shooting him with 20 bullets before he can ADS to one-shot me.

Then you're playing vs bads who can't aim and are too scared to use Bayos; I routinely get double or triple kills while charging enemies down with bayonets.

Even then, riflemen are not good for shooting on the move,

Learn to aim.

Riflemen do not belong on the frontlines unless it is a skilled operator that can pull his own weight. They are meant for mid-long range combat.

You're wrong, and it's ignorant fools like you who waste the opportunities good players give them and shoot team-mates in the back while pretending to be snipers.

Dafuq? Front line? Maybe at the beginning of an attack on Commisar's House, etc but if rush forward with riflemen like that in general, you should get a thanks from your opponent for feeding their meat grinder.

It's only going to be a meat-grinder if your team isn't doing their job; IE Riflemen camping so far back that they're ineffective and thus leave the people who ARE contributing to a win in the lurch.

You might think it's pro to lose matches to lock-downs or the timer being run down; the rest of us know better.

Assaults and Elite Assaults aren't going to do sweet FA against the entirety of the enemy team; the opposition have just as many Assaults and Elite Assaults as you do, and they've got the advantage if they're defending.

Assaults aren't an excuse for cowards like you to camp back.

Every close quarters encounter i've ever had with a rifleman ends up with me shooting him with 20 bullets before he can ADS to one-shot me.

Then you're playing vs bads who can't aim and are too scared to use Bayos; I routinely get double or triple kills while charging enemies down with bayonets.

Even then, riflemen are not good for shooting on the move,

Learn to aim.

Riflemen do not belong on the frontlines unless it is a skilled operator that can pull his own weight. They are meant for mid-long range combat.

You're wrong, and it's ignorant fools like you who waste the opportunities good players give them and shoot team-mates in the back while pretending to be snipers.

Have you ever seen me play? no? then why are you criticising me like I don't have 347 hours in the game?I am almost ALWAYS in the top 5, and it's not for kills, it's for capturing the objective. I think I know how each role is played as I am veteran in all but machine gunner. I can aim perfectly fine. "Playing with bads" doesn't mean I don't have the reaction time to gun someone down before they even round the corner. Rifleman are the most dangerous to play why? BECAUSE OF YOUR 4 FOOT LONG RIFLE POKING OUT EVERY CORNER YOU GO TO. Bayonet is even worse, you're painting a "i'm coming around the corner shoot me" signal if you're charging people head on.

As an assault I can clear an entire building by myself, rifleman are usually there AFTER i'm done mopping up, not because I'm L337, because I listen for footsteps, talking, and gunfire. I hear people around corners and you can have the most godly aim but you can't dodge a cooked grenade.

Rifleman can only do so much, but with an mp40 I can practically snipe all the same, and the single fire ppsh is basically a laser if you're resting it on something.

In terms of raw killing power and potency assaults and elite rifleman and squad leaders rule over rifleman if they're using the role correctly. Just because I have an automatic doesn't mean i go full derp and rambo every chance I get, i sneak around just as much as anybody else and as an assault utilizing stealth will be more important in this class than any other. I can get behind russians at pavlovs house, come from behind, and clear the entire garrison before they even realize what happened.

Riflemen can not just do that, they are there for accurate support fire, riflemen support assaults that go clear buildings. Point blank period.

And of course I can't look at your time played because you have a private account, figures you'd be giving me pointers but you're too afraid for people to see how long you've played the games you seem to be such an expert in.

Wouldn't know even if I had, I only remember players who outperform me consistently in the game.

then why are you criticising me like I don't have 347 hours in the game?

Because you can't bayonet effectively, by your own admission, and seem unable to deal with CQBs using a bolt-action.

I am almost ALWAYS in the top 5,

Join the club. You'd have to be suciding with nades not to get into the top 5 with all the winter-sale noobs in the game. Big whup.

I think I know how each role is played

Clearly not, as you think Riflemen should be camping waiting for bads to stick their heads up and get shot; and don't know how to bayonet charge effectively.

"Playing with bads" doesn't mean I don't have the reaction time to gun someone down before they even round the corner. Rifleman are the most dangerous to play why? BECAUSE OF YOUR 4 FOOT LONG RIFLE POKING OUT EVERY CORNER YOU GO TO.

You don't even know to take a WIDE circle around a doorway when clearing the angles? And you seriously want us to take your opinion seriously?

Bayonet is even worse, you're painting a "i'm coming around the corner shoot me" signal if you're charging people head on.

You're going to get the drop on them and stick them when they panic. Even if they injure you heavily, you're usually going to have time to stick them before bleeding out. If there's more than one there's a good chance you'll nail several.

As an assault I can clear an entire building by myself,

I can do that with any class; I regular do it with Anti-tank... Big deal.

I hear people around corners and you can have the most godly aim but you can't dodge a cooked grenade.

And riflemen can't cook grenades?

Rifleman can only do so much,

They can one-hit-kill most classes quite comfortably; and even if they die in the attempt, it's better to take out a CQBer and keep a point clear than to hope he messes up and exposes himself to long range covering fire; or hope that he's considerably WORSE than your assaults and loses against them despite having the advantage.

In terms of raw killing power and potency assaults and elite rifleman and squad leaders rule over rifleman if they're using the role correctly.

And they're going to be doing sweet FA if they get killed before they can get into position because the majority of your team are camping miles back taking pointless potshots while the entrenched enemy outnumber and outgun them.

and as an assault utilizing stealth will be more important in this class than any other.

Irrelevant. It only takes on defending rifleman to notice you and shoot you once and you're back on the bench. And the more riflemen there are pushing forward, the more likely they are to notice you and shoot you.

I can get behind russians at pavlovs house

Yeah, anyone can outflank an enemy who isn't watching their flanks. Big whup.

Riflemen can not just do that

Yes, yes they can. They can easily sneak up a flank, they can easily pick off enemies and bayonet them in the back in quick succession before they even know what's happening.

And, of course, they don't have to be as good as assault or better than assault in these circumstances; they are in addition to assault. It's not like you can have infinite assaults and people are picking Riflemen instead of picking assault.

they are there for accurate support fire, riflemen support assaults that go clear buildings. Point blank period.

You're wrong; and if you weren't playing bads you'd be losing to enemy assaults as much as you were beating them *and* you'd be getting shot, bayonetted, grenaded and killed by their riflemen who ARE pushing forwards too, while yours are doing nothing at the back.

Assault + Riflemen > Assault on his own. It's not brain surgery.

And of course I can't look at your time played because you have a private account, figures you'd be giving me pointers but you're too afraid for people to see how long you've played the games you seem to be such an expert in.

That's because my argument is based on the subject at hand; not on how long you spent idling in the game, or ranking up one kill per round at a time...

But riflemen are there to support the team.....if you don't have the "meat shields" of rifleman surrounding your key players then its essentially 32 players vs 10 with the rifleman off at the side providing firing support ?